Akron-Canton Airport joins TSA's PreCheck program

Akron-Canton Regional Airport is now taking part in the Transportation Security Administration's PreCheck program, an expedited security screening that lets pre-approved travelers move through security faster.

Jessica Holbrook CantonRep.com business writer @JHolbrookREP

Keep your shoes on and your jacket zipped. A new expedited security line at Akron-Canton Airport offers travel without the undressing.

The airport is taking part in the Transportation Security Administration's PreCheck program, which allows preapproved travelers to move faster through security screenings.

The goal is to make flying more efficient, said Ross Feinstein, TSA press secretary, at an event Friday marking the PreCheck opening.

HOW IT WORKS

He likened the expedited line to the express lane at the grocery store.

PreCheck passengers go through a separate security screening line. They don't have to remove shoes, belts or jackets, and can keep their laptops and "3-1-1" liquids (3-ounce bottles in a 1-quart plastic bag) in their carry-ons.

Passengers still have to go through metal detectors and may be randomly selected for additional screening.

"No one's ever guaranteed expedited screening," Feinstein said.

PreCheck is designed to make traveling faster for everyone, he said. Passengers in the PreCheck line will get through security quickly, and with some people moving to the fast lane, the standard security lines should be shorter.

HOW TO ENROLL

There are several ways to take advantage of PreCheck, but some of them come with a price.

U.S. citizens who are part of trusted-traveler programs, such as U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Global Entry, and Canadian citizens who are part of Canada's NEXUS program, are eligible for PreCheck.

Global Entry, which is designed for frequent international travelers, costs $100 for five years.

By the end of the year, TSA will launch its own PreCheck enrollment program, Feinstein said. That program will cost $85 for five years of eligibility. Applicants will pay when they enroll, similar to applying for a passport.

Some airlines also may offer PreCheck to their frequent flyers. Passengers who receive an invitation can choose to opt-in free, though they'll be able to use PreCheck only when flying with that airline.

Right now, 12 airlines participate in PreCheck, including all major airlines flying out of Akron-Canton, Feinstein said.

On a flight-to-flight basis, TSA also may offer random passengers a chance to go through PreCheck — a practice that will improve efficiency, Feinstein said.

If you're eligible for PreCheck screening, a notice will appear on your boarding pass. A PreCheck indicator also will be embedded in the bar code of the boarding pass, so passengers can be redirected to a PreCheck lane during screening.

PreCheck is available at 102 airports nationwide. Cleveland Hopkins International Airport and Pittsburgh International Airport also participate.

About 30 percent of flyers in Northeast Ohio go through PreCheck lines, said Jim Spriggs, deputy federal security director for TSA in the Northeast Ohio region.

"It's always nice to make it easier to go through security ... We don't always do that," Spriggs said.

"Any customer amenity to make it easier for customers, we make sure we do it here," agreed Richard McQueen, president and CEO of Akron-Canton.

LEARNING CURVE

TSA launched PreCheck in October 2011. The agency has been expanding the program since, Feinstein said.

But not all passengers are up to date with the new program.

On launch day, several Akron-Canton flyers still unlaced shoes and unbuckled belts in the PreCheck line.

"The hardest part here is educating travelers that if they're in the PreCheck line, they don't need to remove their shoes or their jackets," Feinstein said. "Passengers have become so used to having to remove these items."

Others, such as Stuart Kone, are already pros. Kone, a frequent traveler from Atlanta who takes about six trips a month, has been a Delta PreCheck member for years.